Escape
by Jedipati
Summary: Anamaria deals with a pair of bickering Marines as she plans her escape from Royal Navy custody.


Raise the dead swag

Escape

**By**: immortaljedi

**Rating: **PG

**Summary**: Anamaria deals with a pair of bickering Marines as she plans her escape from Royal Navy custody.

**Disclaimer:** These characters belong to The Walt Disney Company. Which is not me, despite all wishes to the contrary. Maybe I should by stock in the company.

A/N: This was written for the "raisethedead" swag fic exchange this summer. Because of the premise of that community, this does not take into account DMC or AWE. Thank you **arquenniel** for looking over it for me!

* * *

Anamaria glowered at the two guards from inside her cell. They didn't notice, since they had their backs to her. She couldn't believe what they were talking about. They were debating earnestly if women could be pirates. Never mind that she was standing right here.

Her cell didn't provide any distractions from the bickering; it was dark, dingy, and incredibly dull. As a matter of fact, the guards were the only points of color in the room. And they were the only distractions from her thoughts.

One of them was speaking.

"Well, obviously, they are. Just look at her. And you didn't believe that the _Black Pearl_ was real."

Anamaria blinked and stopped glaring. If these two buffoons had been involved in that adventure last year, then maybe she could learn something she could use against certain _others_ for getting her in this mess.

"So I was wrong," the addressed marine said. "And I never claimed that women pirates didn't exist. I just said that any we met would have to be odd."

Anamaria started to glare again.

"Fine, fine."

The one who had spoken last turned to look at her. She stared at him and he looked away. His fellow guard flinched when he met her eyes, but didn't look away.

Anamaria allowed her lips to curl in a slight smile. There was nothing friendly or amused in her expression, she knew. She could intimidate any man, and these two deserved every bit of intimidation they could feel.

The first one shuffled his feet as she continued to glare at them. Finally, he gathered the courage to speak to her. "Excuse me, miss, but why did you become a pirate?"

"If you're actually a pirate," the second clarified.

"Of course she's a pirate! She wouldn't be here if she wasn't. And do you know any respectable woman who wears men's clothes?"

"Miss Swann does when Mr. Turner is teaching her fencing."

Anamaria sighed as the conversation descended into yet another argument, this time about whether or not that counted, since Miss Swann's fiancé- Mr. Turner- approved.

This two were… very odd. She didn't understand why they were allowed to guard prisoners at all. She didn't understand why they would be allowed to guard a rain barrel, for that matter.

Anamaria ignored their argument as she noticed that the guard closest to the cell had a set of keys on his belt. He was just within reach, and she had many skills besides those essential for sailing and pirating. Skills such as picking pockets.

Quickly, silently, and delicately, Anamaria pulled the ring of keys off the guard's belt. She hid them in the waistband of her own trousers, and by the time the guards turned their attention to her, there was no sign that the keys were anywhere nearby.

She lifted her head high. "What makes you think I'm a pirate?"

They looked at each other. "The commodore said you were." one of them said uncertainly.

Anamaria scowled. "I fish for a living. It's easier to sail my boat in trousers." It wasn't precisely a lie. As soon as she could, she would return to fishing, and it was easier to sail in trousers.

"Oh," The one who asked- the one who thought that women only wear men's clothes if they're pirates- said, disappointed.

"See, I told you," the other said.

Anamaria scowled and turned away. They'd reminded her of just what her life was not, and what it had been. She hadn't always been a pirate, though there had been few times when she'd done something completely legal.

She hadn't known that she'd end up a pirate when she was a girl. She'd been born a slave, the daughter of a housemaid and the master's son. She'd been treated well, but she'd run away when she learned that the master planned to get rid of his son's shame by selling her to what amounted to a brothel.

She'd disguised herself as a boy, and because her owners had been so isolated, no one knew she was an escaped slave. She'd worked her way around the Caribbean on various smuggling ships before settling down with her own fishing boat. She'd only returned to smuggling when fishing was bad.

At least, she'd done that until her boat had been stolen. Then, and only then, she'd turned to full piracy. Which, despite her current circumstances, was really quite rewarding. And tonight, when the guards were asleep, the circumstances would change sharply.

* * *

Commodore James Norrington sighed as he inspected the (currently) empty cell. The keys had been placed right in front of the open door, which at least meant that he didn't have to figure out how the woman pirate had gotten out of the cell. He just had to find out how she'd gotten the keys.

He exchanged glances with Lieutenant Gillette. "Murtogg and Mullroy were the guards yesterday, correct?"

"Yes sir, but they swore up and down that they never saw her do anything."

James sighed. "They wouldn't have," he muttered. He turned and left the prison. "Have a new roster drawn up. I don't want those two anywhere close to guarding prisoners anymore. It was something they did that let her get the keys."

"Yes sir," Gillette said.

"I know that woman worked on the _Black Pearl_. She was our best chance yet to find them." James turned and headed toward his office.

Gillette nodded and followed him. "She cannot have gone far, sir. We're already searching for her, we'll find her. I believe Lieutenant Groves went down to check the blacksmith's shop, before you ask."

"Good," James said. "But I doubt she's there. She might have stopped there, and if she did, Turner helped her, but they're both smart enough to know that would be one of the first places we looked. She's probably stowed away on one of the ships that left with the tide."

James stopped for a second. "Have someone check the ships that haven't left yet, just to be on the safe side," he said. "But if we don't find her, there will be other times."

Gillette nodded. "We'll get the _Pearl_, her crew, and her captain eventually," he said.

"Yes, indeed," James said. "The law demands that we find them, and it is impossible for them to hide forever. Relax, Lieutenant. We'll have another chance." He frowned. "For now, I have a dressing down to give. Send Murtogg and Mullroy to me."

"Yes sir," Gillette said. His smile was quickly hidden. "Should I inform them of why?"

"No, they'll know why. Oh- order the _Dauntless_ to be made ready to sail. We'll head out after this."

* * *

Please let me know what you think of this!


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